PSN: This chapter was rather quick wasn't it? Well the only reason is because most of this was pre-written by the original one—I edited Moko in. So this chapter will seem familiar BUT it is very, very vital for the story's progress and I couldn't cut and ignore it. I'm going at my pace :D
Thanks to: Kazuki Akira, yukixsnow, Frost190, Eiida-chan
Many a false prophets claiming to be the prophesised princess shall arrive. However, this will cease until the real one arrives.~ Signs of a princess, Giotto, Sky Prince.
After Moko had given Chrome a grand tour of the academy and allowed her to navigate towards even the most private areas of the school, they had come out tired and really worn out. Moko had then led her towards the halls were they—coincidently—ran into Bianch who was trudging slowly towards the main hall, a clipboard held firmly in her armpits. Chrome had noticed that Bianchi had let her lavender hair down and it was now cascading naturally down her back.
She looked almost maternal as she strode towards them.
Moko bounded forward when Bianchi arrived. She stood by Bianchi's side and beamed—she appeared a lot more contented after Chrome established their friendship. Bianchi smirked at her eagerness and asked them about their day so far—it was late evening. Chrome stood there whilst Moko explained enthusiastically what a delightful day her and Chrome had had and that she couldn't wait until they started their regular lessons tomorrow.
"Well, you'll have to have an early night," Bianchi had said and excused herself. She had to take out Chrome's timetable for tomorrow and warned them that if they didn't return back to bed by the time she returned, there would be hell to pay.
Moko nodded and had pushed Chrome to her dorm. When they go inside the room, Chrome had watched as Moko observed her room with immense interest and attention. She shook her head and announced that Chrome would have to modify and alter her room and accessorize it since it would be her home from now on. She proclaimed that Chrome could come with her this weekend, given that they had the privilege—depending on your performance of the week, your privileges were either multiplied or taken away—so that they could shop and sort out her room.
Chrome nodded only, watching mutely as Moko quickly whipped out a book and pen and with a flourish, wrote down all the simple requirements' that was necessary for her weekend shopping. After she finished, Moko had remained a while and continued on chatting to Chrome before she left —she had realized that Bianchi's curfew was five minutes away.
"Ciao, I'll see you tomorrow, Chro. Have a nice dream," she bowed and went next-door to her own door. Chrome watched as the door shut softly behind her.
She had a huge day ahead of her tomorrow. She would be starting her new lessons and she was feeling somewhat apprehensive. She decided not to mull over it and switched off the light. Tomorrow. She'd think properly tomorrow. Right now she was slowly drifting to sleep….
XxX—XxX
It didn't even feel like a minute had passed before Chrome was interrupted by a loud, very rude, knock on her door. Unsteadily she sat up, squinting in the dark and wondering who it could be. Bianchi? She had already left her, content. Moko? It was a possibility. Mukuro? She was hoping for too much.
Silently she crept out of her bed, her duvet wrapped around her. Her heart pumped loudly inside her chest as she tentatively opened the door, only a small crack visible as she gazed at the midnight intruder.
"Open the door byon~! I was standing out here all day," a loud voice protested, pushing the door forward and let himself inside the room.
"You were here for less than a second Ken," a serious voice answered, stepping inside also.
Chrome, baffled, tightly wrapped the duvet even tighter around herself and stood aside, letting in the two boys she had never seen before. One of the boys—the one who had rudely pushed the door open—was a blonde boy with spiky hair and a scar on his nose. He scowled when he entered, sniffing the room. He gazed at the room with evident distaste. The other boy who stood beside him was more serious looking. He was wearing glasses and had a mop of straight blue hair hidden in a beanie. A yoyo was dangling on his left hand.
"Who are you?" Chrome asked, stepping back in panic. Should she raise an alarm? Moko was next door wasn't she? She'd help her. Also Chrome knew that Bianchi would rush to her aid immediately if she raised the alarm.
"It isn't as though we came for you!" The boy called Ken said furiously, jabbing a finger at Chrome. "We came for Mukuro's sake byon~!"
"Ken, shut up," the boy with the glasses said, pushing it up to the bridge of his nose, "we did come for her." He faced Chrome and said, "I'm Chikusa. I came to get you because Mukuro wants to talk to you now."
"Why...?" Chrome trailed as Ken harshly grabbed her by the wrist.
"Ask him byon~! We're just following orders."
"Just come with us and you'll find out." Chikusa said, fully opening the door and steering them towards the Mist hall. Chrome furtively glanced at Moko's room. It was closed and the light was shut down too.
She must be asleep, Chrome thought with dismay.
She stumbled forward, Ken's nails digging into her wrist, and blindly followed the two strange boys, wondering what they had to do with Mukuro. Did he really want to see her, or was this some sort of trap?
If so, it wouldn't be the first one she fell for.
XxX-XxX
"Kufufu~ Thank you Ken and Chikusa for bringing her to me. However, I want to have some private talks with my dear Chrome." Mukuro said, his hands on his chin as he appraised Chrome who had bundled herself tightly around her duvet. She was shivering and was feeling very tired also.
"What do you want to do with her byon~!" Ken asked, looking at her accusingly.
Mukuro waved a dismissive hand and ushered him out, "It's a problem that only Chrome should be concerned about. Go. Also, this meeting will not be let out of the bag."
Chikusa and nodded and Ken gave a forlorn glance at Mukuro and exited with his tail between his legs, closing the door softly before Chrome and Mukuro were all left alone.
Chrome felt naked and vulnerable suddenly. She had been dragged all the way to Mukuro's dorm by force—she found out that he owned one dorm on his own—and was told to sit down on the chair and wait. Now, under Mukuro's scrutinising gaze, she felt really weird and exposed. Almost as though she were naked.
"Why am I here?" she asked bravely. She didn't expect her small 'reunion' with Mukuro to be like this at all. Chrome's imagination was a lot different than the reality in front of her. She had expected roses, smiles and promises of a happy life. She didn't expect to be dragged out of bed late at night with only her pyjamas on. It was nearly morning.
Why did he need her, enough to get her out of the bed in the unholy hour of the morning?
"Why hmm? Why do you think you are here?" Mukuro asked, throwing the ball back at her court. He smiled in anticipation as he waited for her answer.
Chrome could not conjure up a proper reason. Why would Mukuro drag her into the night to talk to her? Shouldn't he be the one to answer that? She had so many questions for him, but seeing him now, in the flesh had made her forget most of them.
"Oya, silent are we? I would have thought that your change would have changed the way you acted. Perhaps I was wrong. But all in due time."
Chrome blushed, gritting her teeth.
"Kufufu~ I enjoy mind games, do you know that Nagi?" Mukuro held a trident aloft and chuckled, "as an illusionist, I love playing riddles, mind games and anything that makes a person tick."
It was as though he had slapped her. It stung. The fact that he had used her old name had made a million memories resurface. She tried to forget about it, her past.—it was too painful. She knew he had done it on purpose to jolt her back to reality. Perhaps Mukuro wanted to remind her that it was he who changed her life.
"Oh, I forgot. You were Chrome now weren't you?" Mukuro stood up and stepped forward, standing in front of her, a teasing smile playing on his lips.
"Why...?" she repeated, feeling weary suddenly. Was he always like this? Was this his plan all along? To string her along.
Mukuro stroked her face tenderly before he answered. "My dear Chrome, your arrival has caused much controversy and angered the princes yesterday, do you know that? We've had a heated debate that may have split the princes into two groups. Your supporters and your, how do I put it? Non-supporters."
Chrome did know. There was a discussion about her arrival and a big meeting with the princes. Even the knights were arguing about her arrival. Though the reason was still unclear since nobody was willing to give answers. And to think that her arrival had split the princes. She felt guilty.
She nodded.
"Well, do you know why, hmm?"
She shook her head.
Mukuro smiled, sitting down on the chair next to her. "Kufufu~ It seems they thought I had an ulterior motive. I understand what I did last year may have triggered it, but that was then. My reasons were different, understand?"
Chrome didn't understand at all but still nodded.
Mukuro sighed and ran his hand through his pineapple styled hair, "No you don't. You're too pure, too good for that. But that changed anyway."
"What changed?" she asked warily.
"A lot my dear. I know I'm not the best person and I look out for number one, but I realized differently when I stumbled across a certain thing."
Chrome didn't know what that certain thing was but still nodded, waiting for him to continue.
"It was a book. A book about a prophecy...it was written by Giotto the sky prince." Mukuro said, his eyes dimming as he reminisced.
Chrome listened. There wasn't much she could do other than listen to what Mukuro had to offer and find out where he was taking her with his story. The least she could do was to understand things from his point of view before gathering any more information.
"As I was saying, that book opened my eyes to the world. One would be surprised at how one book can change an individual's opinion. Perhaps it was for that reason that I have realized that there was a reason that the knights had hidden these books from us, the public. Books full of history and stories of the past." Mukuro continued, enthralled by his own story. There was an almost ominous glint on his heterochromatic eyes.
Chrome didn't know where this was heading and nodded, even more wary than before. She was feeling a little slow in connecting dots. She was feeling too sleepy and tired.
"They thought they were smart hiding it from me, kufufu~" Mukuro chuckled, "but I was smarter. I got in, hacked into the system and found out where the books were located. A simple illusionary trick was all that it needed."
"Books?"
"Yes books. Loads of them kufufu~! Perhaps if they had used a stronger password I would never have stumbled across that book. Or if I wasn't bored looking for a little fun."
Chrome listened, rapt, as Mukuro continued with his speech. He seemed engrossed.
"This was before I met you. Before I understood the full potential of the prophecy. How riveting, I thought as I read it. It wasn't easy, secretly trying to decipher some parts and understanding the true meaning of it. Nonetheless when I finally cracked it, I was too late."
So far, Chrome was absolutely lost. What did she have to do with this? She didn't think that Mukuro was makings sense anymore. He seemed uncharacteristically excited. A lot different than the boy she had first met in the hospital. What was it about the book that had him so riled up?
"And you know what I found there my dear Chrome? The truth. And when I found out the truth, I decided to read more and the more I read the more I became interested," he paused for dramatic effect, "It was at that time that I realized that as I delved deeper and understood more, other people had crossed the same path."
"What path?" It wasn't long before Chrome realized that making him talk would work more than being silent. She felt that she needed to co-operate. Something inside her—guts instinct—was telling her that her answers were going to be solved. Or at least partly.
Mukuro gave a brief smile, his trident in the air, his heterochromatic eyes glinting, "The path to find the princess of the prophecy. As in you, my dearest."
Chrome reeled back in shock, her eyes wide. Did he just say what she thought?
He continued on, oblivious to her shock. "When I arrived, I realized I was too late. Their plans had been set in motion and you were hospitalized due to this. It was hidden cleverly with a normal hit and run, but I knew better. It was all due to your flame resolution that you are still alive. Somehow it seemed to have triggered because of the strong pressure applied to you. To protect you, your flames converged and sheltered your organs from a fatal accident."
"You mean I was going to be killed?" the sudden revelation horrified her. Her mind went back to the crash. It was hazy, she could not remember much. But how could somebody want to kill her? She had run into the street on her own accord, it was her fault that she got run over.
You know the face of the person who tried to kill you. You just forgot, her conscience said.
That wasn't true. Why would somebody she knew want to kill her? She had done nothing wrong in her life. She wondered why a law abiding, obedient girl like her was in somebody's assassination list.
Right now, Mukuro had, with a straight face, said that she was the prophesied princess which was obviously a ridiculous notion. But what really scared her was that people outside knew about this and tried to assassinate her because of this. She could have sworn it was a normal car crash. Hadn't she been run over?
"Yes. And as I said, if it weren't for me, you would have been in the morgue and not at this school." Mukuro sighed and sat down again, "it worried me to think that somebody other than me knew the truth."
Why?" Chrome asked, her voice trembling, betraying her real emotions as she stuttered "We-re yo-o-u the one who put the leafl-et in my loc-ker?"
"Your locker? No, that was them, a smart tactic they used to lure you out. Kufufu~ I only put it on your hospital wall. Tell me Chrome, do you have enemies?"
Chrome's immediate thought went to M.M. But M.M was just a school-yard bully, she wasn't smart—no, she didn't have the heart to conduct such an evil mission. She may have been her enemy, but Chrome refused to believe it was M.M who would off her.
You fool! She made you run into the street. You're too sentimental and forgiving. Her conscience barked.
Chrome ignored it and looked at Mukuro, "None," she sighed, clasping her hands and asked, "Why do they want me dead? What have I done?"
"Rather you should ask why you are important to them," Mukuro corrected; a sinister glint in his red eye. "Do you believe in the prophecy?"
Chrome looked taken aback by the question and quickly muttered, "No."
"Why? Is it because you think that because it has been prophesied 400 years ago that all evidence to back it up had ceased?"
Chrome mumbled incoherently and Mukuro strained to hear what she was saying.
"Do you believe that you have the chance to be the prophesised princess? Because it seems all evidence seem to be pointing it that way. No other person has the same traits that you evidently harbour." Mukuro stated.
That information sent Chrome spinning in surprise. Her? The prophesised princess? She wanted to laugh at the ludicrous idea. It couldn't be true. Chrome wasn't the princess. The facts just didn't add: She was a class C for instance, because the prophesied princess' natural flame is as high as a triple class A ring, on par with the real princess.
Why do you doubt yourself? Her conscience asked.
"Your high resolution of flame that was triggered after your accident and your direct lineage to Kimiko the priestess had confirmed to me everything I needed to know. Of course, ther are still more to this then you and I could even comprehend. You are the prophesised princess, a prophecy made 400 years ago by Talbot's mother, a renowned witch back in those days," he stood up and grabbed a book that was lying on his bed, "within the book Giotto had written, I found an excerpt of Kimiko's dairy. A stray paper that had tied the pieces to my confusion. I was intrigued..."
He opened the book and pulled out a paper that looked tattered and frayed at the edges. Curiously, Chrome watched as Mukuro drew near her and offered her the paper, a small smile on his lips.
"Kufufu~ Go on, read it," he coaxed, smiling at her, whilst pushing the paper onto her lap.
Tentatively, feeling afraid, Chrome grabbed the paper and with shaking hands read it:
Today I feel cold and ill. But I mustn't be afraid. This is what I wanted. What I strived for. Daemon's descended will taste the power of the prophecy and I shall taste the power of victory.
Even if I die, I shall die peacefully, knowing I had acquired my initial mission. Talbot's mother Alessandra had told me as much.
Two mists can never clash. One mist will ALWAYS overpower the other. When a mist descended of my lineage arrives with a high flame resolution equal to her male counterparts, it is then that the clock of doom will tick, perpetually counting down the destiny of the two mists.
And then the time of the prophecy shall appear, the time of true tranquillity were the taboo that binds us all is snapped. Truly it will be a great victory for many. Followers of the princess will be delighted—
The rest of the paper had been cut off. Chrome glanced fearfully at Mukuro, understanding a little. Kimiko was the woman in her dreams— at least that was established. The woman who had fallen ill and cursed Daemon for reasons unbeknown to Chrome. Was she, Chrome, a direct descended of her? Did they share the same lineage? A sensible side of Chrome didn't want to believe this. She wanted to denounce it and pretend that she hadn't read it and continue on with her life, but Mukuro's conviction unnerved her. And there was the case that, according to Mukuro, somebody had attempted to assassinate her because of it.
She was in danger and she hadn't even known.
They're jealous of your heritage. Why else would they waste so much effort to rid of you?
"I hope I have clarified some things for you now, my sweet Chrome. You must understand why I need you now. We must aid each other and destroy the curse that is bound to me. It is a reversal case. If I die, you live and if you die, I live. One of us has to die to balance out the mist attribute that has been bestowed to both of us. However, my dearest Chrome, in order to prevent that, we must work together to reverse the curse," Mukuro extended his hand and smiled grimly, "are you with me on this, my dear Chrome?"
He will protect you from your perpetrators. Take him as an ally and trust him so that he can support you. You need him as much as he needs you. He will teach you many things. Her conscience said, slyly nudging her.
"Okay," she said without hesitation, knowing that she would understand the situation more clearly if she stayed next to Mukuro.
"Right, now you must sign this flame contract and swear an oath to never reveal the happenings of tonight to anybody. This will stay behind doors."
PSN: Wow, that was a long edit. Mukuro is a bit looped on the prophecy and princess issue. But this is just the beginning. Do you believe that Mukuro is telling the truth? Is the prophecy even correct? Also, what really happened to Chrome? Was her crash an accident or was it something even more sinister? And if yes, who was willing to do it?
So many questions this raises and I cannot wait to reveal them all! :D
Hope you enjoyed this and post your thoughts on the questions above in your review. I'd love to hear them all!
